Family of Weapon Sights – Crew Served

Acquire and engage targets at extended range with confidence and precision.

BAE Systems’ solution for the U.S. Army’s Family of Weapon Sights-Crew Served (FWS-CS) program provides machine gunners with extended engagement range capabilities for a tactical edge on the battlefield. Designed for use in any environment, the system supports and protects gunners and frontline soldiers with unmatched accuracy when acquiring or engaging targets.

Our solution

Current crew-served weapons lack the precision needed to rapidly and precisely acquire targets. To address these needs, our FWS-CS solution combines the weapon sight and helmet-mounted display into one integrated system. This unique design helps reduce target engagement time by wirelessly transmitting imagery from the weapon sight into the helmet-mounted display in real-time.

Designed for integration with the M2 0.50-caliber rifle, MK19 grenade launcher, and M240 machine gun, the system is equipped with a laser range finder that provides automatic adjusted crosshairs directly in the shooter’s helmet-mounted display. With this precision at hand, soldiers no longer need to manually calculate weapon offsets, allowing them to rapidly and accurately acquire targets at distances greater than the weapon’s maximum effective range.

Unmatched image quality

FWS-CS provides exceptional image quality, allowing the shooter to see deep into the operational area and accurately engage targets with confidence. The system produces this clarity by combining a high-resolution 12-micron thermal and high-definition day camera in the weapon sight. Using both cameras, the system is able to transmit high-resolution images directly from the weapon sight to the helmet-mounted display - day or night and in any weather condition.

Other features

FWS-CS is an extremely compact, lightweight, and low power solution that represents the latest in a long line of advanced thermal and infrared solutions that BAE Systems has provided the dismounted soldier over the course of the last decade. In that span, the company has manufactured and delivered more than 200,000 thermal products to a range of military and commercial customers around the world.